$9 million to help Surf Life Savers help us

SURF Life Saving NSW will receive more than $9 million from the NSW Coalition Government to boost its rescue capabilities.

Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW, Ben Franklin said the funding will help the over 75,000 members involved with SLSNSW to continue their work to keep the community safe.

"We rely on the skill and passion of volunteer surf lifesavers to patrol our beaches and I'm proud the NSW Government is providing this injection of funding to ensure they have the support they need to do their important work," Mr Franklin said.

"Our surf lifesavers dedicate their time to protecting millions of beachgoers every year and this investment will enhance their efforts with increased technology and communication systems."

Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said the funds will go towards operational costs and vital new lifesaving equipment in the 129 surf clubs over NSW.

"As a Government we are committed to improving water safety and reducing the number of preventable deaths in the water," Mr Grant said.

"This funding will boost resources on our coastline and support all members of SLSNSW from nippers to senior patrollers."

All SLSNSW clubs will receive tablets to better record incidents, preventative actions and rescues through the Patrol App.

In addition, the funding will contribute to the provision of RWCs (jet skis), radios, rescue boards, first aid kits and defibrillators.

The SLSNSW Coastal Radio Network will continue to be upgraded from analogue to digital enhancing this vital link between surf lifesavers on the beach and other emergency service agencies.

This enhancement will improve communications between volunteer lifesavers, lifeguards and the State Operations Centre when coordinating coastal search and rescue activities.

The SLSNSW funding package includes a $4 million Water Safety grant and a $5.1 million funding agreement with the NSW Government over three years.

The NSW Government has also already allocated $11 million from 2016-2019 to fund other water safety projects across the sector to reduce the incidence of drowning across NSW.

This year, $1.2 million was invested in water safety initiatives targeting young children in pools, river safety, higher risk takers and the risks of swimming when consuming alcohol and drugs.